Student Arrested After Aiming Replica Gun In Auditorium: Police

ROCKVILLE, MD — A Rockville middle school student was arrested for bringing a fake gun to school Wednesday afternoon, Montgomery County Police announced Thursday.

The 12-year-old male brought a plastic gun that was spray-painted black to Earle B. Wood Middle School at 14615 Bauer Dr., police said.

Police said about 120 kids were participating in after school activities in the auditorium at about 3:30 p.m.

The student entered the auditorium and approached a group of girls.

He "took what appeared to be a real gun from his backpack and began to show the group the gun," police said in a statement. "The 12-year-old student told the group that the 'safety was on' and began to point the gun around the auditorium."

The students in the group started to scream, panic and run, police said.

Several students told one of the teachers in the auditorium. The teacher told the students to seek shelter behind the stage, police said.

The teacher found the male student sitting on a mat, holding the gun with his finger on the trigger, police said. She told the boy to give her the gun. He put the gun in his backpack and gave it to the teacher, police said.

The student was arrested by the responding officer and transported to the police station. He was charged with threat of mass violence and Maryland Education Law Section 26-101: disrupting school activities and threatening others with bodily harm, police said. He was released to a parent.

Photo of student's fake gun via MCPD